The present invention relates to a front unit assembly of an automotive vehicle, comprising a front face having a central section and two lateral sections, a bumper, a bumper skin forming the fillet of the said bumper, two brackets, each extending from the central section to which it is fixed towards a respective lateral section and forming support members for the said bumper skin, and two optical units, each being supported by a respective lateral section and having a lateral peripheral section suitable for cooperating with a complementary recess in a respective front wing section.
A major difficulty encountered by motor vehicle and/or front unit manufacturers consists in positioning the optical units in a precise manner relative to the other styling elements constituted by the wings and the bumper skin. This fit is important, since a lack of surface continuity of the visible section of the optical unit, that is to say of the glass, the corresponding wing and the bumper skin, substantially impairs the aesthetic quality of the vehicle. Moreover, a precise adjustment of the optical unit position relative to the wing and to the bumper skin is difficult to maintain between the operation to mount the optical units on the front face and the operation to fit the furnished front unit on the vehicle box.
These difficulties have been aggravated by the widespread use of single-unit optics integrating the blinker function, whereas previously the blinker section was adjustable relative to the main section of the headlamp housing, so that it was relatively easy to balance the relative-positioning tolerances of the various components of the front unit.
At present, in the case of single-unit optics integrating the blinker function, the optical unit is generally fixed at four points on the front face, which constitutes a rigid part. Following assembly of the optical unit, this is mounted on the vehicle box and the front ends of the body wings are fixed thereto. In a following operation, the motor vehicle manufacturer adjusts the position of the optical unit relative to the wing, by acting upon two points of attachment of the optical unit to the front face.
The major drawback of this modus operandi, which is dictated by the constitution of the front unit assembly, lies in this repeat operation at the end of the assembly, which consists in adjusting the position of the optical unit.
Moreover, this delicate adjustment must be carried out for all vehicles, taking into account the production and assembly tolerances of the various elements involved. Since these elements are also prone to greater or lesser deformation, the surface alignments obtained by these adjustments are not stable over time and may require supplementary adjustments.
A main object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks and to propose a front unit assembly of an automotive vehicle, the components layout of which allows automatic and permanent positioning of the visible contours of the optical units relative to the corresponding wing end as well as to the bumper skin, combined with a relatively precise positioning of the wing ends and bumper skin under the same conditions.
To this end, according to the invention, each optical unit and the respective front wing section are fixed rigidly to the corresponding bracket at a same reference point of attachment, the said bracket being endowed with an elasticity substantially greater than that of the front face, so that it is prone to elastic deformation as a function of relative adjustment movements of the bumper skin, the wing and/or the optical unit.
According to other characteristics of the invention:
the bumper skin is fixed rigidly to each bracket at at least one point constituted by the said reference point of attachment;
each bracket comprises a transverse channel receiving a complementary lateral edge of the bumper skin, so that the said edge can slide in the channel as a function of relative adjustment movements of the bumper skin, the wing and/or the optical unit;
each bracket has one end fixed rigidly to the central front face section, the other end being free, such that the bracket is prone to spring movement relative to the rigid fastening end;
each optical unit is fixed rigidly to the rigid fastening end of the bracket at one point of attachment, defining a single point of attachment;
each optical unit comprises a mutually integral housing and glass and the single point of attachment is obtained by a fastening member integral with the housing and a complementary fastening member integral with the rigid fastening end of the bracket;
the bracket comprises an elastic hook-fastening member, complementary to a hook-fastening member integral with the respective front wing section such as to apply a prestressing force to the wing, at a point situated at a distance from the reference point of attachment, the said force being directed substantially from front to rear in the general direction of the wing;
each optical unit and the respective front wing section are fixed rigidly to the front face at a same point of attachment, defining a double point of attachment;
the said double point of attachment is obtained by a fastening member integral with the housing and complementary fastening members of the respective front wing section and of the front face;
each optical unit comprises at least one indexing member suitable for cooperating with a complementary indexing member integral with the corresponding front wing section;
the said at least one indexing member is a slug, whereas the complementary indexing member is a groove formed in the corresponding front wing section;
each optical unit comprises two such indexing members;
a first indexing member and the complementary member are of a form suitable for allowing relative play between the optical unit and the wing along a substantially vertical axis;
a second indexing member and the complementary member are of a form suitable for allowing relative play between the optical unit and the corresponding wing along an axis directed substantially in the general direction of the wing;
at least one indexing member is integral with the glass; and
the reference point of attachment is obtained by a fastening member integral with the glass and complementary fastening members provided on the respective front wing section and the respective bracket.
A further object of the invention is an automotive vehicle equipped with a front unit assembly such as previously defined.